Knockdown scaffold



Nov. 24, 1925. 1 ,563,306

F. H. e. BRANDT ET AL KNOGKDOWN SCAFFOLD Filed Nov. 8, 1920 s Sheets-Sheet 1 w/mas's: 351222 F. H. G. BRANDT ET AL xuocxnown SCAFFOLD Nov. 24, 1925.

Filed Nov. 8, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v IN VENTOQRS.

WITNESS 12 like Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

FOKKO H. G. BRANDT, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, AND GEORGE K. KRELL, OF KANSAS orrY, irrssousr.

KNOCKZDOWIN SCAFFOLID.

Application filed November To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, FoKKo H. G. BRANDT and GEORGE K. KRELL, citizens of Germany, and residents, respectively, of Kansas City, county of Vyandotte, State of Kansas, and Kansas City, county of Jackson, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Knockdown Scaffolds, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to knockdown scaffolds for use in the erection or interior dec oration or redecoration of buildings, and our object is to produce a scaffold which can be dismantling operations, and a erected or knocked down with unskilled labor and in less time and with less danger to those engaged in erecting or dismantling the scaffold than with the usual type of scaffold.

Another object is. to produce a scaffold adapted for use at any desired height, which may be increased in height as the walls of a building being erected necessitate such increase in the height of the scaffold, and from which when built to a predetermined height, the flooring may be removed and carried to another level to accommodate increase in the height of the walls of the building. 7

'Another object is to produce a scaffold in which, the parts are held together by clamping action and which embodies the desirable features of simplicity, strength, durability and cheapness in the assembling and which may be used repeatedly without material deterioration. v

\Vith these general objects in view and others, as hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter; described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to. be had to the accompanying drawings, in which i Figure 1 IS a fragmentary side elevation of a building Wall and a scaffold embodying the invention. 7

Figure 2, is a horizontal section of the same. .3 .3 V.

Figure 3, is an enlarged central vertical section of one of the standards or uprights forming a part of the scaffold. V

. Figure a is ,a section on the line IV-elf] of F gure Q scaffold '8, 1920. Serial No. 422,747.

Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 3.

Figure 6, is a side elevation of an adjustable connection between one of the standards or uprights of the scaffold and the walls of the building being erected.

Figure 7, is a top view of the same.

Figure 8, is a fragmentary side view showing the means for securing one of the longitudinal stringers or one of the crossties of the scaffold to one of the standards or uprights.

Figure 9, is a plan view of the same.

Figure 10, is a side elevation showing the means whereby one of the standards or uprights of an interior scaffold is braced against the wall of the building at the point where no opening occurs in said wall.

Figure 11, is a top view of the construction shown by Figure 10.

Referring first to the scaffold generally and secondly to details of the same, 1 indicates the wall of a building shown in Figures 1 and 2 as in course of erection, 2 a window opening in the building, and arranged at suitable distances outward of the walls of the building and spaced equal distances apart, are an inner series of standards or uprights 3 and an outer series of standards or uprights 4:. "The standards or uprights 3 and 4: of each series are connected by longitudinal stringers 5; which are preferably of sufficient length to span the space between more than two of the standards or uprights.

Similar longitudinal stringers 5 connect the standards or uprights 3 and 4 at the other sides of the building and occupy a plane approximately afoot or thereabouts higher than those of the first-named series of stringers, it being noted by reference to sheet 1 thatonly one set of each series of uprights andstringers is shown and that the extremities of one set of stringers overlie the extremities of theother set extending in a different direction at the corner of the building. Extending transversely across the parallel stringers of each set of stringers and against the inner and outer standards or uprights arecross ties 6, and laid upon the cross ties of each series and extending parallel with the respective stringers are flooring boards'or-planks 7 upon which the workmen may Safely stand and move about in the course of their employment.

1 In thas ie t ee stil s s afle it is fie sirable that some of the standards or uprights shall be disposed outward of window openings, one vertical series of which is shown, and opposite some of the window openings ties or anchors 8 will be secured to the adjacent uprights and extend therefrom through said window openings and be equipped with clamping levers 9 for engagement with the building wall at the inner and outer sides thereof. A comparatively few of these ties or anchors will lend stability and rigidity to the scaffold by tending to maintain the uprights in parallel relation with the walls of the building.

A set of stringers and cross ties will be arranged in superposed relation and preferably spaced five or six feet apart, though the distance between one set of stringers and cross ties and the set above the-same may of course be varied.

A building can be erected with only one set of flooring boards for each side of the building, though additional sets may be employed if desired. If only one set is employed, the workmen after building the wall to a suitable height beyond the flooring, can then remove the latter and place it upon the next set of cross ties above, these actions being repeated as the height of the walls increase and of course reversed in removing the scaffold, that is the flooring is lowered from oneseries of cross ties to another in effecting the dismantling of the scaffold.

here a scaffold is erected in a large room or auditorium to enable the same to be decorated or redecorated, it may be possible occasionally to runthe ties or anchors 8 out through the window openings and secure the scaffold to the wall in a manner similar to that described. If this is impracticable due to the character of the wallsof the room or auditorium, brace rodslO secured at one end to selected standards or uprights, will extend outward therefrom and be equipped at their outer ends with shoes 11 to bear against the adjacent walls.

Referring now to details of the scaffold and first to sheet 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that each standard 3 and l comprises a plurality of superposed members 12, of gradually diminishing diameter by pref erence, as'shown clearly by Figure 3, each member being diametrically reduced near its upper end at 13 to provide external shoulders 14 and 15 and a socket 16 at its upper extremity wherein is fitted the lower end of the superposed member, this arrange ment permitting of the use of members of different diameter, the bottom member being of greatest diameter and the topmost member of smallest diameter. This arrangement is advantageous not only because it apportions the strain scientifically and diminishes the weight of the scaffold as a whole, but also because it relieves the operators of'labor and facilitates the erection or dismantling of the scaffold by the use of lighter standard members as the scaffold increases in height. Each standard member 12 is reduced in diameter near its lower end to form a neck 17 and external shoulders 18 and 19 and the lower end of the bottom member rests on a base 20 and within a socket 21 thereof and the upper end of said base is provided with an external groove 22. The base may be securely fastened to the ground in any suit able manner but preferably will be provided with a broad foot plate 23 and radiating ribs 2 1 to stiffen and strengthen it.

To reliably secure the lower member 12 to the base, a collar clamp is employed, the same comprising two similar members 25 terminating at opposite ends in outwardly projecting ears 26 secured together by clamping bolts 27 and nuts 28 or equivalent rev taining devices. The upper halves of the collar members are of the proper diameter to tightly embrace the neck 17 of said member 12 between the shoulders 18 and 19 thereof, and the internal diameter of the lower halves of the collar members is enlarged at 29 to receive the upper end of the base 20 and there are provided internal ribs 30 to fit in the external grooves 22 of the base. This construction and arrangement make it impossible for the said member 12 to move downwardly or upwardly.

Each member of a standard telescopes a short distance into the member immediately below it and the members so engaging are secured firmly together by a clamp consisting of a pair of. collar members 31 terminati-ng in cars 32 secured together by bolts 33 and nuts 34: or equivalent devices, said collars fitting snugly around the enlarged upper end of one of said standard members and being diametrically reduced below said enlargement to fit snugly around the reduced or neck portion 13 and against the shoulders 14 and 15 of said member.

The upper ends of the collar members are reduced to fit snugly around the neck portion 17 and between the shoulders 18 and 19 of the other member 12, and in this connection it should be stated that the members 31 for the entire scaffold will preferably be of the same size, but of' such resiliency that the pull of the fastening bolts and nuts shall adapt or bend the said collar members sufficiently to perform their function regardless. within reasonable limits, of the diameter of the standard to which they are fitted. By thus making the collars of a single size the cost of the scaffold as a whole is reduced and there will be no necessity for selecting particular collar clamps to fit particular standards, which of course would delay the erection of the scaffold.

For supporting the stringers and cross ties and securing said. elements firmly in.

place, clamps of the following construction are secured toeach standard or upright: Each clamp comprises a pair of half collars provided at their opposite ends with ears 36 and 37, the ears 37 being spaced more widely apart than the ears 36 and forming one of the underlying supports or rests for a stringer or cross tie, each set of ears being connected together by a pair of bolts 38 and a pair of nuts 39. Pivoted on the uppermost pair of bolts connecting ears 37, is an eyebolt 40 and fitting at opposite sides of said eyebolt are two short bars 41 constituting a lever pivoted at its lower end on the undermost of the bolts 38 connecting cars 37, it being noted that the lower ends of the bars 41 curve inwardly so that the upper or straight portions of the bars may project vertically upward beyond the outer ends of the ears 37 and the outer side of the stringer or cross tie resting on said ears, and secured to the said lever between the upper ends of the members 41 thereof, is a prong 42 to clamp the stringer or cross tie firmly against the adjacent standard, the prong being adapted for embedment in the stringer or tie to guard against longitudinal movement or slippage thereof.

To apply the force on said lever necessary to clamp the stringer or cross tie in place and embed the prong therein as explained, the pivot bolt 40 extends outward between the bars or members of said lever and is engaged by a washer l3 and a clamping nut 1 the screwing home of the nut 011 the bolt causing the washer which bears against the outer edges of the members 4-1, to apply inward pressure thereon for the purpose explained. It will be understood that the collar members of the clamps last above described, are of such construction that they can be fitted upon the standards at any point thereon, that is upon any member 12 thereof, thus avoiding the necessity of making; such collars of different sizes to fit different diameters.

If desired the scaffold may be so constructed that the cross ties shall rest directly on the stringers. In this event the collars of the two clamps for securing the stringer and cross tie in position will be arranged in superposed relation below the stringer, the lever of the clamp for the cross tie extending upward sufiiciently to engage said cross tie and the lever of the other clamp extending upward past the first-named clamp and engaging the stringer. The constructions of the clamp in both cases will be identical except as regards the length of the lever element. The construction shown, however, is the preferred construction as it gives greater leverage for clamping the stringer or cross tie in place and of course incidentally possesses greater strength.

The tie or anchor for connectin the scaffold with the wall of a building, preferably consists of a pair of bars 45, spaced slightly apart and provided with oppositely bowed collar portions 46 to be clamped upon the adjacent standard or upright 3 by bolts 617 and nuts 48, the bars extending through the window opening and preferably resting on the wall and provided with a longitudinal series of openings 49. A pair of shoes 50 joined together at the lower edges rest on said bars and shoes, levers 9, consisting of two-part members and pivoted to the upper ends of said levers at are bolts 56 which extend through the upper portions of their respective shoes and are engaged by clamping nuts 57 and washers 58, the

screwing home of the nuts causing the washers to bear against edges of the shoes and thus cause the lower ends of the levers to clamp firmly the wall, as shown clearly in Figure 6.

In the construction shown by Figures 10 and 11 for bracing'the scaffold within a building, collars comprising two-part flanged members 59 are fitted upon the standards, and extending through the flanged ends or cars of the collar members are brace rods 10, having eyes 60, the eye of each rod being pivoted on a bolt 61 which extends through a pair of angle plates 62 and is engaged by a retaining nut 63. The angle plates are rigidly secured to a shoe 11 of the type hereinbefore referred to, this shoe through the proper manipulation of nuts 6%- and 65 being brought to bear firmly against the wall of the building. After this adjustment is effected, the nuts 65 are turned to effect greater clamping action of the collar members 59 on the standards so that there shall be no chance of the anchor or brace sliding downward.

In Figure 1, it will be seen that a pair of adjacent standards or uprights are connected by cross rods 66 retained in place by nuts 67 these cross rods and said standards constituting a ladder whereby the workmen can ascend or descend the scaffold.

From the above description it will be apparent that we have produced a knock down scaffold embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the object of the invention, and while we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be unders ood that we re e e h r ght to make all changes properly falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

'We claim:

1. The combination of a collar, a lever thereon provided with prongs, a bolt pivoted to the collar, and a nut engaging the bolt and lever to eff ct operation of the latter in the direction in which the prongs thereof project.

2. The combination with a standard, of a bar projecting laterally therefrom, a shoe secured to the bar, clamp levers on the bar, and means for causing the levers to approach :lor cooperative clamping action. on an interposed object.

In a knock-down scaffold a base provided with an external groove and upwartly-opening socket, a standard fitting in said socket and resting: upon said base and provided with an externally reduced portion above the base, and a clamp consisting of two parts secured together and upon the base, and lower part of the standard, the upper halves of said parts fitting snugly in the reduced portion of the standard and the lower halves of said parts having ribs fitting snugly in the groove of said base.

4. In a knock-down. scaffold, superposed standards fitting telescopically together, the lower one supporting the upper one, and provided, near its upper end, with a dianietrically reduced portion, the upper standard a point above the lower standard also l'iaving a diametrically reduced portion, and. a clamp for securing the two standards together, said clamp coni 'n'isingg two menihers receiving the upper end of the lower standard and the lower end of the upper standard between them and snugly engaging the reduced portions of said standards, and means for drawing; and holding said members lirmly against the standards.

In witness whereof we hereunto atlix our signatures.

FOKKO H. G. BRANDT. GEORGE K. KRELL. 

